Commercial Appeal all-metro boys track team 2018
By John Varlas
Boys track and field athlete of the year
Courtney Thomas
Central, Sr.
Events: Long jump, triple jump
Why chosen: Thomas captured two titles at the Large Class state meet, He won the long jump in 23-6.25 and also claimed the triple jump with a mark of 47-3. His efforts helped Central place fourth in the team standings.
First team
Antonio Lay
CBHS, Jr.
Event: 100
Why chosen: Lay captured the 100 meters at the Division II-AA state meet in 10.62 seconds.
Emmanuel Bynum
W.E.B. DuBois, Jr.
Event: 200
Why chosen: Bynum made school history at Spring Fling, capturing the Division I small championship in 21.44 seconds. He's the first W.E.B. DuBois athlete to win a state title.
Isaiah Armstrong
Wooddale, Sr.
Event: 400, high jump
Why chosen: Armstrong won the sectional championship before wrapping up his high school career with a second-place finish at the Large Class meet in 48.59 seconds. He also took second in the sectional high jump with a leap of 6-1.50.
Colin Jones
Houston, Sr.
Event: 800
Why chosen: After finishing second to his twin brother, Keaton, at the sectional, Jones won the Large Class state championship in a time of 1:55.34. He was a nominee for the Commercial Appeal's Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Keaton Jones
Houston, Sr.
Event: 800
Why chosen: Jones finished third in the Large Class state meet in 1:55.58. He was a nominee for the Commercial Appeal's Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Josh Hinkle
Harding, Sr.
Event: 1,600
Why chosen: Hinkle finished third at state in 4:32.93 for a Lions team that won the Division II-A team championship.
Sohan Pokorny-Yadav
Lausanne, Jr.
Event: 3,200
Why chosen: Pokorny-Yadav won the Division II-A state championship in 10:14.93.
Joshua Owten
Central, Sr.
Event: 110 hurdles
Why chosen: Owten won the Large Class state meet in 14.28 seconds.
Tyrese Winfrey
Covington, Sr.
Event: 300 hurdles
Why chosen: Winfrey gave the Chargers their lone title at Spring Fling, winning the Large Class 300 hurdles in 38.75 seconds.
Landon Wright
Briarcrest, So.
Event: Pole vault
Why chosen: Wright won the Division II-AA pole vault with a mark of 13-6. It was the best mark for a Memphia-area vaulter at Spring Fling.
Patrick Healy
CBHS, Sr.
Event: Shot put
Why chosen: After winning the sectional title, Healy ended his high school career with a Division II-A state title and an area-best mark of 53-7.
Nyle Love
Lausanne, Sr.
Event: Discus
Why chosen: Love won the Division II-A title with a throw of 158-9.
Dorian Hopkins
MUS, Jr.
Event: Decathlon
Why chosen: Hopkins won the Division II-AA West Regional title and then placed fourth at state with a total of 5,972 points. He finished first in the shot put and the discus and second in the triple jump. He was a nominee for the Commercial Appeal's Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Relays
Raleigh-Egypt
Event: 400
Why chosen: After capturing the sectional title, the Pharaohs finished second in the Small Class state meet in 42.24 seconds.
Fayette-Ware
Event: 800
Why chosen: The Wildcats captured the sectional title, then followed up with a Large Class state title in 1:28.66.
Houston
Event: 1,600 3,200
Why chosen: The Mustangs breezed to the 3,200 state title in the Large Class state meet, winning by more than 11 seconds in 7:54.48. Houston placed second in the 1,600 in 3:21.09.
Second team
100: Emmanuel Bynum, W.E.B. DuBois, Jr.
200: Antonio Lay, CBHS, Jr.
400: Sellers Shy, MUS, Jr.
800: Nathaniel Crawford, MASE, Sr.
1,600: Tamar-Jay Allen, Raleigh-Egypt, Sr.
3,200: Robert Dawson, Bartlett, Fr.
110 hurdles: Landon Wright, Briarcrest, So.
300 hurdles: Joshua Owten, Central, Sr.
High jump: Bryce Swinton, CBHS, Sr.
Long jump: Antonio Lay, CBHS, Jr.
Triple jump: Dorian Hopkins, MUS, Jr.
Pole vault: Noah Hooper, MUS, Sr.
Shot put: Nyle Love, Lausanne, Sr.
Discus: Dorian Hopkins, MUS, Jr.
Decathlon: Ty Kimberlin, Harding, Sr.
400 relay: Fayette-Ware
800 relay: Raleigh-Egypt
1,600 relay: Southwind
3,200 relay: CBHS
Selections were made based on results from the major in-season meets and postseason competition with emphasis given to qualifying for the state tournament along with input from area coaches and officials.
Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.